Switch mechanism



Feb. 17,1970 r \IVILLIAMS 3,496,314

swncfl usdnmrsm Filed Aug. 22. 1967 FIG 2 mm F FIG- 4 FIG 3 INVENTOR. WINSTON F. WILLIAMS BY I Wm W

AT TORNE YS United States Patent US. Cl. 200-18 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed is a new switch structure in which a pawl means controls a compound switch so as to provide a compact and inexpensive switching structure.

This invention relates in general to a switching means and in particular to a new and novel switch capable of use with binary control systems.

As binary information is used more and more, it has become desirable to use switches which are compact to control remote devices.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a switch with multiple contacts on a stator portion which are formed in an arcuate pattern and which are engaged by a movable rotor member having one or more shorting segments. A selector drum engages the rotor and selectively positions it in one of two positions to selectively engage various contacts of the switches.

Further objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when read in view of the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the switch structure according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the switch in the actuated position;

FIGURE 3 is a view of the switch in the unactuated position; and,

FIGURE 4 illustrates a common binary control scheme for which this switch is adaptable.

FIGURE 1 illustrates a frame member which is formed with a base 11 and end walls 12 and 13 and which has a back wall 14 and a front wall 16.

A switch actuating drum structure is designated generally as 17 and comprises a plurality of selector drums 18, 19, 21 and 22, each of which contains a plurality of pins 24. The pins 24 are mounted in slots 25 and may be moved from a first to a second position. This may be done manually to set up a particular binary code on the selector drums 18, 19, 21 and 22. When the pins 24 are in the left position relative to FIGURE 1, they actuate the switches of this invention and when they are moved to the right relative to FIGURE 1, they do not actuate the switches.

A disc 26 is attached to the selector drum assembly 17 and is formed with a plurality of openings 27 in which a gear 28 mates. A shaft 29 is mounted in the wall 16 and carries the knob 31 and gear 28. Thus, rotation of the knob 31 rotates the selector drum. Suitable indicia 32 may be printed about the surface of the drum 26 so as to correlate the position of the drum with the switch code. Thus, the memory drum 17 may be positioned to any one of a number of detented positions by the knob 31.

A switch assembly structure designated generally as 34 is attached to the rear wall 14 and a top plate 36. The switch structure comprises a plurality of stator means 37, 38, 39 and 40 which are planar members and as best shown in FIGURE 2 have an upwardly extending portion 41 formed with a slot 42. A locking angle member 43 fits in the slot 42 and is attached to the cover plate "ice 36 to lock the stators 37 through 40 to the frame. The rear portions 45 of the stator members extend through slots 44 formed in the rear wall 14 and are thus firmly locked to the switch structure by the slot 44 and the angle member 43.

A forward portion 46 of the stator members 37 through 40 is arcuately formed and carries a plurality of electrical contacts 47, 48, 49, 50 and 51 which extend outwardly away from the stator member 37.

Each of the electrical contacts is bifurcated such that shorting contacts 52 and 53 carried by a rotor 54 may pass through them.

The rotor 54 is rotatably supported by a shaft 56 which is supported by the end plates 12 and 13 and has an up: wardly extending arm 57 formed with an opening 58 into which a spring 61 is received. The other end of spring 61 is attached to a shaft 62 which is also supported between the end plates 12 and 13. The shorting contacts 52 and 53 move in an arc as the rotor 54 is moved.

A cam 63 is attached to the edge of the rotor 54 on the side opposite the contacts 52 and 53 and is adjacent the drum structure 17. When a pin 24 is in a first position so as to actuate the switch, the pin 24 engages the cam 63 and moves the rotor 54 against the spring 61 to the actuated position shown in FIGURE 2. In the actuated position shown in FIGURE 2, the rotor contact 52 makes electrical contact with the stator contacts 47 and 48 and the contact 53 makes electrical contact between the stator contacts 50 and 51, The stator contact 49 is in the open circuit position.

As shown in FIGURE 3, when the selector drum 17 is in position such that a pin 24 does not engage the cam 63 of the rotor, the spring 61 moves the rotor to the unactuated position such that the contact 52 makes electrical contact between stator contacts 48 and 49 and the contacts 47, 50 and 51 are in the open circuit position.

Leads 60, 64, 65, 66 and 67 extend from the switch contacts 47 through 51, respectively, and provide terminals 68, 69, 70, 71 and 72 at the rear of the switch assembly. These are connected to a utilization circuit, not shown.

As shown in FIGURE 4, a common binary control scheme might comprise switches of the A type which comprise terminals 73 and 74 with a shorting contact 75 and switches of the C type which comprise terminals 76, 77 and 78 with a shorting contact 79 connected at all times to the contact 77 and movable between contacts 76 and 78.

A plurality of such A and C type switches as illustrated in FIGURE 4 can, for example, control a conversion from decimal to binary which is a common circuit utilized in present-day equipment. It is seen that the stator contacts 47, 48 and 49 and the rotor contact 52 comprise a C type switch in that the rotor contact 52 either engages stator contacts 47 and 48 or stator contacts 48 and 49. The stator contacts 50 and 51 and rotor contact 53 comprise an A type switch in that the rotor contact 53 electrically connects contacts 50 and 51 as shown in FIGURE 2 or they are in the open circuit position as shown in FIGURE 3. Thus, each switch comprises an A and a C switch and the contacts 68 through 72 may be suitably wired into a control circuit such that the desired switching is obtained. It is to be realized, of course, that a plurality of switches my be mounted in a bank as shown in FIGURE 1 and that various coding may be accomplished with the switches. Since the switches are constructed of relatively thin insulating material, such as pressed fiber or a suitable plastic, many switches may be mounted in a very compact manner. The coding of the drums is established by selectively positioning th pins 24, and once the pins have been placed, the particular combination of switch settings will be remembered by the drum and the same position will be obtained each time the drum is returned to that particular position.

For an example of a system for utilizing the novel switch assembly of this invention, reference may be made to my copending application entitled, System for Converting Four Wire Information Into Binary Coded Decimal Information, Ser. No. 627,221, filed Mar. 30, 1967.

It is seen that this invention provides a novel switch assembly and although this invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments thereof, it is not to be so limited, as changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An encoder switch mechanism comprising a stator member and a rotor member supported in a common plane with said rotor member rotatably supported with respect to said stator member, a plurality of electrical contacts extending from the stator member toward the rotor member, and a plurality of electrical shorting contacts extending from the rotor member and engageable with contacts on the stator member, biasing means yieldably maintaining said rotor member in a first position, a selector drum means rotatably supported in said common plane, a plurality of pin members on the periphery of said selector drum means and movable to either a first or a second pin position on said periphery, said pin members engageable with said rotor member only when in said first pin position and urging said rotor member to a second position as said selector drum means is rotated.

2. A switch mechanism as defined by claim 1 including a plurality of stator members, rotor members and selector drum means.

3. A switch mechanism as defined by claim 2 wherein said selector drum means is rotatable to positions indi cating a decimal reading and said pins cooperatvely function with said rotor member and said stator member to effect a corresponding binary reading.

4. In apparatus according to claim 3, a selector knob operably connected to said selector drum means for rotating said selector drum means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,252,739 1/1918 Thompson et al 2006 X 2,719,918 10/1955 Slate et al 2007 X 3,299,225 1/1967 Heath 200-6 2,897,299 7/ 1959 Colby et a1.

3,366,751 1/1968 Capellari 20018 X 3,310,778 3/ 1967 Grundfest et a1. 200-46 X 3,330,917 7/ 1967 Grundfest.

FOREIGN PATENTS 659,289 6/ 1929 France. 1,071,192 12/1959 Germany.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner R. A. VANDERHYE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 200-6, 11, 153 

